Rangers 'a disgrace', claims fans' spokesman

Rangers were a 'disgrace' in tonight's Champions League qualifying defeat to FBK Kaunas, according to fans' spokesman Jim Templeton.

The Ibrox side suffered a shock 2-1 defeat in Lithuania which ended last
season's UEFA Cup finalists' European aspirations before the Clydesdale Bank
Premier League season has started.

Templeton, president of the Rangers Supporters Assembly, told PA Sport that
Rangers owner Sir David Murray, boss Walter Smith and chief executive Martin
Bain will be brought to book at a pre-arranged question-and-answer session at
the club's training complex Murray Park on Friday.

He said: 'You could call it a disaster but you could also say that the
second-half display was a disgrace.

'They looked clueless against what was hardly a world-class team.

'The loss of money from going out of Europe is one thing but fans want to see
what is on the park and the evidence of what we seen tonight, there wasn't
much.

'And if you are honest, there were signs of that at the end of the season.

'There is another couple of weeks before the transfer window closes and if
ever there was evidence that we needed something, especially in the middle of
the park, then tonight was it.

'There is a gaping hole there and it needs filled.

'Our AGM is this week and there will be fans coming from all over the world.

'There will be a question and answer session at Murray Park on Friday morning
with Sir David Murray, Walter and Martin Bain.

'That should be interesting.'

Templeton insists Smith will survive the inevitable calls for his head.

He said: 'It's a bit early for that.

'You have to consider what he achieved last season when we were going for the
quadruple.

'There is no need to tell him what a disaster this is, he went through similar
during his first time at Ibrox.

'We are just looking for signs of progression but there hasn't been any.'

David Edgar, spokesman for the Rangers Supporters Trust, asked for leadership
from the top at Ibrox in the wake of what he called 'a disaster of a result'.

Defeat came less than three months after Smith's side reached the UEFA Cup
final in Manchester.

Edgar said: 'Let's not sugar-coat it, this was a disaster of a
result.

'The fans are more upset than I can remember.

'The feel-good factor from Manchester has totally and utterly gone.

'It's hard to see where we go from here and it's down to the people in charge
to show us.

'The fear is that players will be sold to balance the books and the fans
simply will not stand for it.